Smyrna times., 1887-01-19
a Proposition to do Away With
Our Levy Court.

! OiiSH Clo levy court and
W substitute therefor board of county
commissioners, of which Mr.. MedilI bae
given notice in the lower house of tho
General Assembly is one that merits
careful and unimpassioned considera.
tlon. There is undeniable signi6conco
III the preparation of such measure
Dy a member of the present lew court
OF New Castle county and its intro.
duction in the legislature bv another
VINO has served an apprenticeship OF
four years in the same county leoisla-
i've body. There is further signi6-
cance IN the impression of MIR. Medill
II 1t be well founded, that the measure
VIII receive the sanction of a consider
able fraction of the existing lew court
OF New Castle county.
The idea at the bottom of this maas-
ure IS not a new one in New Castle
county, but this is believed to be the
hrst time an attempt has been made to
emoody that idea in legislation, It is
urged that in the adjoining MARYLAND
county of Cecil a board of commission
ers has been found, by the experience
OF years, fully competent to graDple
with and transact satisfactorily very
much the same business that comes
before our levy court. Chester county
pennsylvania, is also governed bv a
similar board, but the duties thereof
are materially less diversified.
The primary professed object of the
proposed innovation is to get the work
done more independently for less
money. 1t is proposed to create a
board of three commissioners, who are
to receive fixed salary and to be cleo
tive, two in one year and the third in
the alternate year, in this, CARRYING ont
the principle now obtaining under
which six and five members are elected
alternately. The eleven members of
the existing body are paid per diem.
with mileage; the power to fix their
compensation, dependent on the num-
Der of days they sit, being largely in
their own hands.
The obvious objection to the pro-
posed measure, from the bipartisan
standpoint of the interests ofthe people
of the county, is that three men cannot
reasonably be expected to have among
them that wealth of detailed local
knowledge-of familiarity with the
needs and inhabitants of the different
hundreds-that would almost necessa-
rlly obtain among Il men selected from
as many different sections of the
county. 1t will readily be seen that
the rejection or confirmation of an an
pIication to be placed on the assess
ment list may often be influenced bv
Just this kind of knowledge on the part
OF levy court commissioners. Still it is
fair to reply that no taxable who values
the elective franchise highly enough to
deserve the right to vote need. as a
rule, be disfranchised at so late an
hour. He will have made it his bus
iness to qualify at the sitting of the as
if by accident or design he has
been prevented from doing so earlier.
1t is well now, in view of the local
Importance of this proposed innovation,
to recapitulate briefly the nature and |
extent of the regular business coming
up before the legislative body of New
Castle county. They are: to qualify.
instruct and rate assessors; to correct
or add to assessments; to see that as
Sessments are laid at true value; to
make transfers to the proper hundreds;
to reduce assessments upon deprecated |
real estate; to deal with the failure of |
assessors or others to render true state
nents respecting assessable property;
% hear and act upon appeals from as
'essments; to strike delinquents from
he assessment lists; to supply vacan-
lies in the Office of assessor; to lay and
'pportion county and poor taxes; to
appoint collectors and fill vacancies
Imong them to examine, adjust and
ettle the accounts of collectors; to ex-
mine and settle the delinquent lists of
ollectors; to appoint county treas
lrers: to appoint trustees of the poor
nd fill vacancies among them to settle
ccOunts of the treasurer of the poor;
o transfer to the asylum prisoners ad- ,
ldged insane; to appoint Jail commits (
toner's; to regulate the rate of day
oard of prisoners; to make apprOpria-
ions for the Home for Friendess and !
Children. There are other i
uties, but these are about the scope 1
f the prescribed ones. {
The problems with which Mr.. Med {
rs bill will invite the General Assem- t
ly to wrestle are-can three men 7
'ansact this business satisfactorily, f
Dming as the bulk of it does, within S
he purview of the first three months of v
le year2 If so, is there sufficient v
rOmise of reducing county expendi- e
Tres to warrant the making of the L
,onUa0 E,oy,, EreO;n0 n